Smoked Pulled Pork and 4 Amazing Recipes for Using It

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Hello and welcome to this edition of the smoking meat newsletter. I am very excited to share the newsletter with you this time as we celebrate the amazing flavor of smoked pulled pork by using it in some out of the box ways.

I have put together a few recipes demonstrating how easy and wonderful it is to use smoked pulled pork in normal recipes and how it tends to take them from ordinary to something quite amazing.

From delicious smoked pulled pork hotdogs to pulled pork party dip just in time for the game to pulled pork parfaits and pulled pork on spuds to take “hearty” up a notch.. I have literally pulled out all the stops this time.

I recommend that you try all of these exactly the way they are posted and hopefully this will get your creative juices flowing as well and make you start thinking about really neat ways to use smoked meat.

I spent a little more time than usual in putting this newsletter together and in doing so, I have been eating pulled pork on everything imaginable for the last few days in order to come up with new recipes and to perfect old ones.

I must tell you that I used my rub recipe and my sauce recipe in all of these dishes to come up with the best possible flavor and once again.. they haven’t let me down. They won’t let you down either.. I suggest you order them right away and see how they can take the flavors in your cooking to a whole new level.

I have used the store-bought stuff and I just keep coming back to my own recipes.. they’re just that unbeatable. Buy them today and you will see what I mean.. if you don’t agree that they are wonderful, I’ll buy them back pronto!

My Previous Newsletter:

These beef country style ribs are big and their just perfect for the smoker. In this article I show you how to prep them, smoke them up and turn them into tender, tasty and delectable pieces of meat.

Ode to Cherry Dr. Pepper

I am not alone in using Dr. Pepper or other flavors of soda as an injection and/or marinade for meat but I decided to use Cherry Dr. Pepper in these pork butts just to mix things up a little bit. Well.. I really wanted to use some Cheerwine which is what I grew up with in North Carolina but they don’t sell it this far west and I didn’t have time to order any so I got to thinking and decided that the Cherry Dr. Pepper would be a great 2nd choice.

When Cherry Dr. Pepper first came out a few years back, it’s all I drank for several months but then I slowly drifted off to Diet Mt. Dew as is my style.. I change things up every once in a while. I had actually forgotten how good this stuff is so when I bought a 12 pack for this recipe, I was surprised and enamored all over again;-)

So, enough on that let’s get started making our pulled pork in the smoker so we can get to all of the other wonderful recipes!

Smoked Pulled Pork with Cherry Dr. Pepper

*I used about 9-12 ounces as an injection then I used about 1/2 can in each pan per my instructions on down the page.

Purchasing the Meat

I highly recommend using the pork butt instead of the picnic when making pulled pork. The picnic will work fine but it does have a thick skin that needs to be removed and in my opinion it is not as flavorful as the butt.

The butts are usually called a “Boston butt” and range anywhere between 6-8 lbs and may have a fat cap on the top side.

I have seen these lately being sold as 3 and 4 pounders as well but upon closer inspection you will notice that they are actually just halves.

Tip: The pork butt normally shrinks by 40% during cooking which is great information if you are calculating how much meat to cook. i.e. an 8 lb. butt will yield just under 5 lbs of meat.

Preparing the Meat for Smoking

As I mentioned before, I decided to inject my pork butts this time which is something I rarely do. My rub recipe is amazing and adds so much flavor to the meat that injecting is usually just overkill. I suppose I was just wondering how much it would change the flavor, if any, and if it would actually have a twinge of cherry when I got finished.

Injecting

I used my heavy duty injector by Cajun Injector and put an ounce or so of cherry Dr. Pepper about every 2 inches across the top of the butt. There are various methods for injecting meat but I usually go in at a 45 degree angle and once I push the needle in.. I back up about 1/2 inch before pushing in the plunger.. seems to work well for me. It is ok if some of the fluid runs out the top of the hole you made.

Adding the Rub to the Outside

I normally use yellow mustard or some olive oil to help the rub to stick but in keeping with the theme, I used more cherry Dr. Pepper to wet the outside of the meat and help the rub to stick better.

Once I moistened the outside of the meat, I poured about 1/2 cup of my rub recipe on top and proceeded to massage it into the meat. As the rub mixed with the beautiful deep red color of the soda, it turned into a paste and made the pork butt look good enough to eat right then and there. I added more rub for the sides and bottom of the pork until it was well coated on all sides.

Smoking the Pork Butts

Leave the pork butt(s) on the counter to warm up a little and go get the smoker ready to go. If this takes you more than about 25-30 minutes then you might want to do this before prepping the meat so it does not sit out too long.

I highly recommend setting the smoker up for cooking at about 230 degrees or less. I tend to keep mine at about 220 or so most of the time. This does take a little more time but then my rub does not burn so it’s worth it to me.

If you have a water pan, be sure to use it. It does seem to help keep the air more moist and while I don’t subscribe to the idea that the moisture actually gets into the meat, I do think that moist air has less of a drying effect that completely dry air so it does help.

If you like you can add some juice, more Dr. Pepper or even an onion or garlic bulb to the water pan if you’re feeling it.. I threw in an onion and garlic bulb for good measure;-)

Once the smoker is setup and ready to go, place the pork butt directly on the grate and let it smoke away for a while. If your pork butt has a fat cap like mine did, place it fat side down.

What Type of Wood for Pork Butt? : I use heavier flavors for the larger cuts such as mesquite, hickory or pecan. In this session, I used a 50/50 mix of Hickory and Cherry to stay with our “cherry” theme a little bit.

If you are using a charcoal, electric or gas smoker, keep the smoke going by replacing the chips/chunks as needed for at least 4-6 hours.

Be sure to insert a digital probe meat thermometer either in the beginning or sometime in the first 4-5 hours so you can monitor the internal temperature.

Once the pork butt reaches about 160 degrees, you may opt to place it in a pan and/or wrap it in foil to finish it off. At this point the butt has been exposed to plenty of smoke and some time in the foil will not only super tenderize it, it will help it to get done a little faster in some cases. You can always just leave it on the grate until it’s done if you wish.. your call.

Here’s one of my pork butts.. at 3 hours in

Then at about 5 hours..

At around 6 hours, I checked and they had reached 160 degrees so I placed them in a foil pan, added some cherry Dr. Pepper to the bottom and covered the top with foil before placing them back into the smoker to finish.

Let the pork butts cook until they reach at least 200 degrees with about 205 being about perfect. At this point they are very tender and will practically fall apart with very little effort.

Here is one of the butts once it reached 205 degrees. As you can see the pan is full of liquid which is part cherry Dr. Pepper and mostly rendered fat and juices from the meat. The juice will be saved and used later.

Beautiful smoke ring and it is absolutely delicious.. albeit very hot!

Pulling the Pork

If you follow my cooking instructions and let it cook to an internal temperature of 205 degrees, this process will be very easy. I usually slide the bone out first thing. I then start pulling the meat into large pieces and discard any fat that I find.

I then stir the meat around in a bowl and it just sort of falls apart. If you have any trouble with this, just use 2 forks and pull the meat in opposite directions to shred it.

As I stir it around, I am still looking for any pieces of fat that can be removed. I do not like clumps of fat in the meat so I am very careful to remove as much as possible. This is a little tedious but I think it is worth it and knowing that my family and friends are not eating that stuff makes me feel like it’s a worthwhile task.

The pulled pork is now finished and can be used in whatever way you wish.

Results of the Cherry Dr. Pepper Injection

So, I guess I was expecting more cherry and I can’t say that it was very cherry.. however, it was a little more sweet on the inside than usual and it seemed to be more juicy on the inside which is what you would expect from the added liquid.

To truly do a test, I would have needed to cook one with the Cherry Dr. Pepper and one without and do a side by side taste comparison but I wasn’t trying to get that detailed with it. I just wanted to see if it made a remarkable enough difference to make me want to do it that way every time.

All in all, I think it was very successful and the extra juiciness was well worth the time spent injecting it. Maybe I’ll try some straight cherry juice next time.. I want to taste the cherry flavor when I take a bite and that may be the only way to make that happen;-)

Folks.. I never stop amazing myself at how good my rib rub recipe and sauce recipe is on various kinds of meat.

Whether it is ribs, brisket, pork shoulder or even something simple like chicken or chops, every time I use my rub and sauce I am blown away by the flavor all over AGAIN!

I always think to myself, “I sure hope everyone can try this.. it is too good to go through life never having experienced this!”

I am not being dramatic.. just try it and you will join the ranks of those who know if I’m lying then I’m dying! This stuff is Fan-flavor-tastic and you need it in a bad-bad way;-)

Here is a few recent testimonies from other folks who decided to go for it and are glad that they did. Be sure to send my your testimony once you try it and realize that you have just tasted of HEAVEN.

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Jeff, your Rib Rub is to die for, I have used it on all meats including Venison and I have to say you have created a master piece, Thank you for letting us common folk in to your smokin life ~ Kevin

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I would like to Thank You for the Rib Rub Recipe, I made this for my family and the results were unanimous, everyone said that the ribs were the BEST they ever tasted, and the meat was very tender and moist. I haven’t tried the BBQ sauce recipe yet, but I will in the near future. ~ Jerome

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I purchased the rub and sauce and I have to say that I love it and so has everyone that has tried it, just like you and others said they would. ~ Matt

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Jeff I have to tell you that your rub and sauce recipes are the best. I had never smoked a rib or anything until last weekend and by fallowing your directions on your site I was the RIB KING for a day. Thanks a bunch pal, ~ Harold

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Let me say that I’ve been using your Rib Rub for a couple years now. I use it on ribs (obviously), but I also use it on steak, ham, chicken, and everything else I smoke. My family and I absolutely LOVE it! It rocks! ~ Trapper

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Jeff, I did a smoked pork roast yesterday and used your recipe both for the pork and for your Smoky Barbecue Sauce. Everyone loved it. My wife said the sauce was the best she had ever tasted and I have to agree. Fantastic. ~ Barry

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You deserve the very best and is is completely within your grasp! Only $18.95 and worth every penny. Not only do you get the best rub recipe and sauce recipe available, you are supporting this website and helping to make sure the bills get paid so we can keep on doing what we do to teach thousands and thousands of people across the world the art of smoking meat.

Note:

My system is automated which means you should get a download email within mere MINUTES of ordering.. check your spam/junk folder first then, if you can’t find them, contact me to get the recipes sent to you as an attachment.

Tip: How to De-fat the Pork Butt Juice

Pour the juices into a container such as a jar, put a cover on it and place it into the fridge.

Once it gets cold the fat will turn solid at the top and leave the tasty juices at the bottom. Remove and discard the solid fat with a spoon and you are left with a jelly like substance that is very tasty and can be added back into the meat once it is pulled to juice it up.

Pulled Pork Hot Dogs (Simply Amazing!)

I am and have always been a huge fan of good hotdogs and I’m not referring to something boiled and eaten with ketchup and/or mustard like we did as kids. I am in favor of what I call “adult” hotdogs with all the fixin’s and trimmings.

This idea came to me and I couldn’t wait to try it out.. let me just say that not only was I not disappointed but I was in love. These will happen a lot more often from now on.. I am committed to the cause!

Pulled Pork Party Dip

I rolled this idea around in my head for a day or two before mentioning it to Abi (my wife) knowing full well that she would probably have me committed for having such a ridiculous idea. I mean.. we’ve used salmon for a dip or spread but whoever heard of pulled pork used in that fashion.

I was very pleasantly surprised when she not only liked the idea but immediately told me that it must have jalapenos and a little of my barbecue sauce mixed into it.

Together we came up with what might be my new favorite dip on almost anything including Doritos, Fritos, crackers, etc..

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and barbecue sauce until smooth. Fold in the pulled pork, jalapenos & peppers. Serve cold or at room temperature with crackers or chips.

Pulled Pork Parfaits

Ok.. this is certainly not an original idea of mine but it sounded so interesting that I had to take a stab at it.

I have heard tell of these on several occasions and while I have never seen one made by anyone else, I have the general idea of how it should be layered and such. I don’t know if I did it exactly the same as others have done it but I just used my imagination and this is what happened.

I have no idea who came up with this or I would gladly give credit where it’s due. If you happen to know, feel free to let me know.

Pulled Pork on Spuds

There are several barbecue restaurants in the area that offer baked potatoes with smoked meat on top. Having said that, it’s only as good as the smoked meat itself. A baked potato with subpar pulled pork or brisket on top is not worth eating but now you take that same potato and put some amazing pulled pork on top of it with anything else you like and add some of my very own barbecue sauce.. now you have a prize winning spud!

Top the baked potato with butter; in a pan over medium heat, sauté onions and bell pepper in bacon grease for 2 minutes; add the pulled pork and sauté for 2 more minutes. Spoon onto the baked potato. Top with sour cream and Jeff’s barbecue sauce.

In Closing

Thank you for being a part of the smoking meat family which includes the newsletter, the forum, the smoking-meat.com website and many other resources that we try to provide to help you and countless others learn this great art.

A HUGE thank you to all of you who support the site by purchasing the recipes and other products that we sell. That is what keeps the wheels turning here at Smoking Meat HQ and it is much appreciated.

Hi Jeff. My husband and I are going to smoke our first pork butt this weekend for a big football game. I notice how often the rub recipes are mentioned throughout the website and was wondering if they are the same rubs that are in the Smoking Meat book? We bought the book when we bought our smoker, so we don’t want to pay twice for rub recipes if they are the same.

We just got our smoker about a month ago and have made your ribs, salmon, smoked mac & cheese, armadillo eggs and chicken wings. Everything has been fantastic. Thanks a million for all of the tips! We are new to this, so the information is beyond helpful.

I tried your parfait with a little spin, kinda like the KFC chicken bowl thing (my wife's idea). Layered the mashed potatoes, added corn, pulled pork and some gravy (store bought) with a little cheese on top. It was great. Thanks for all your help on the smoker.

Hi Jeff! I really enjoy your website and blogs as it has helped me immensely! I am very appreciative of what you do! With regards to the Pulled Pork (which I'm smoking a couple this weekend on my XL BGE) is there a rule of thumb as to length of time per pound for them to reach the 2 mentioned temperatures of 160 degrees and 205 degrees? Looks like 6 hours to 160 but how long did the entire cook take? I heard about 1 1/2 hour per pound??? Is that about right?

I usually figure about 2 hours per pound these days and if they get done early, I just keep them wrapped in foil, wrap them in a thick towel or two and place them in an empty cooler for up to 4 hours. The last pork butts I did took from 11:30 PM to 3 PM the next day to reach 205 which was 15.5 hours. I did have 13 of them in the smoker at once but my point is that they can definitely take longer than 1.5 hours per pound sometimes to finish and it’s a good idea to be prepared for that.

I did this yesterday, except I used a jar of maraschino cherries. I injected the juice from the cherries into the pork butts. I made 3. there wasn't enough juice left to put into the pans, so i decided to add some ginger ale to the juice. If you do this, do it a little at a time. if you put it in all at once it will spew out all over the place. I also pureed the cherries and put them back into the juice-ginger ale mixture. ( reserve some for BBQ sauce) I thought that would give it a real cherry flavor,but it didn't give it near as much as I expected. I also made a BBQ sauce to go with it. 1 part chili sauce, 1 part BBQ sauce ( I used sweet baby rays) and pureed maraschino cherries to taste. the sauce is where the cherry flavor can be maximized.

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About Jeff

When I was about 14 years old, I read the book My Side of the Mountain. My imagination was tantalized by the idea that a young boy could take care of himself and eat things like pine cones and live in the trunk of a great tree.
I was already fascinated by living off the land, … [Read More...]

Twice Smoked Potatoes

These are called smoked twice baked potatoes because you bake them in the smoker (or any heat source for that matter), cut them in half, scoop out the insides and mix it with my rub, bacon, cream cheese, jalapeños, etc., and grated cheese on top, then put it back into the potato skins and bake … [Read More...]